From everyday experiences to recent news, I have come across many issues that large families face in America. Poverty and child abuse are major problems in the United States. For this reason, I believe the government should start regulating the number of children people can have based on financial stability, place of residence, criminal record, and other qualifications. The ideal image of the American family is one that offers parents who graciously welcome and raise their children with open arms, financial cohesion, hot meals, and a roof over their heads. While you might think that these characteristics are a fact, they are not as common as the general population widely believes. There are many individuals considered "unsuitable parents" who, despite complaints and adequate resources, continue to reproduce, putting the lives of children at risk. This begs the question at hand: Should emerging parents be required to obtain a license to start a family? In short, Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies were founded after the passage of CAPTA in 1974, which required all states to establish procedures for investigating suspected incidents of child maltreatment. In the 1940s and 1950s, due to advances in the medical field, the medical profession began to take note of what they thought was child abuse. In 1961, C. Henry Kempe began to look into the matter, eventually discovering battered child syndrome. Data collected by the US Department of Health and Human Services states that in 2011, more than 676,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect. Previously, neglect was the most common form of child abuse, but victims also suffered from physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psy...... middle of paper ......edia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 October 2013. Web. 24 October 2013. .2. “Trends in Pregnancy and Teenage Pregnancy.” US Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Adolescent Health, September 20, 2013. Web. December 3, 2013. .3. La Follette, Hugh. "Parents license". Licensed parents. Philosophy and Public Affairs, nd Web. .4. Westman, Jack C. “The Logic and Feasibility of Licensing Parents.” On the front line. PBS and the Web. .5. Unknown. “Should we need a license to be parents?” Mibba. Np, 2009. Web. .